Posted on 10/23/2008 3:17:00 PM PDT by Diana in Wisconsin
It’s the economy, stupid. The familiar refrain of the 1992 campaign that lifted William Jefferson Clinton into the White House is back, though business leaders polled by Long Island Business News were nearly split on whom they supported for president.
McCain supporters planned to vote for the Republican because they oppose redistribution of wealth and said higher taxes would lead to the destruction of the economy. McCain supporters also cited the former Navy captain’s international affairs experience.
Obama won votes from those concerned with the shrinking middle class, education, health care and a Supreme Court Obama supporters said has already moved too far to the right.
Here is our panel of business leaders and how they’ll each vote.
Vince Polimeni President Polimeni International
VOTING FOR: McCain
Polimeni said he doesn’t like either candidate and pitched this idea: “Is there any way we can get Michael Bloomberg to forget about the third term as mayor? He should run for president.”
But, when push comes to shove, Polimeni plans to vote for McCain because he might understand that raising taxes isn’t a solution. He said Obama doesn’t understand that.
“We have millions of people in this country and this is what we get,” Polimeni said. “McCain’s not impressive, that’s for sure.”
Scott Rechler Chief Executive Officer RexCorp
VOTING FOR: McCain
Rechler is the vice chair of McCain’s finance committee in New York and he’s supporting the Republican because he’s played a bipartisan role in Congress and “he’s not running for president to have a platform for after his presidency. This man loves his country.”
But Rechler added that the president, whether it’s McCain or Obama, will need to rethink how he views the economy.
“Forget about what you thought you knew about the economy,” Rechler said. “He is going to have to address a pretty deep economic downturn. McCain’s a seasoned guy and he can build a coalition, including a deep pool of economic experts.”
Allan Ramirez Pastor Brookville Reformed Church
VOTING FOR: McCain
The Latino leader said McCain’s fought for immigrants’ rights, while Obama has no track record on this issue. He also argues that Democrats have taken Latinos for granted.
“The immigrant community needs to send a clear message to the Democrats that we will not automatically be in their corner, especially when all they’ve done is make promises they can’t keep,” Ramirez said.
Ramirez added that McCain has the best chance to pass legislation that supports immigrants’ rights because he’s part of the Republican Party, which has historically wanted to crack down harder on illegal immigration.
“It’s the same reason why it took Bill Clinton to reform welfare, or Richard Nixon to open up China,” Ramirez said. “It has to come from within that party.”
David Schore President Mark Holdings
VOTING FOR: McCain
Schore said he was completely behind McCain’s candidacy until he picked Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin. Still, he remains in McCain’s camp, partly because he isn’t comfortable with Obama’s foreign policy position.
“I absolutely believe you have to deal in foreign policy from a position of strength,” Schore said. “There are countries that want us wiped off the face of the earth and they want to eliminate our way of life. To deal with that, you have to have the biggest sword.”
Schore, like many McCain supporters, is frustrated with his campaign.
“He doesn’t present well in a public forum,” he said. “Obama looks presidential.”
Larry Waldman Partner Holtz Rubenstein Reminick
VOTING FOR: McCain
Waldman said he likes McCain’s independent streak.
“He also tried to bring attention to Freddie and Fannie before everything went wrong, but it didn’t go anywhere,” Waldman said.
Waldman also said terrorism still weighs heavily on him.
“This is a dangerous world,” Waldman said, adding that McCain is a true American hero.
Bert Brodsky Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Sandata Technologies
VOTING FOR: McCain
Economically speaking, Obama “doesn’t have a clue,” Brodsky said.
He said raising taxes, which he said Obama would do, would kill the economy.
“If the rich man doesn’t buy shoes, the shoe salesman doesn’t make a sale and the guy working at the manufacturer loses his job,” he said. “Every dollar spent travels seven times. He wants to take that out and tax it?”
Brodsky also said he has no faith in Obama’s foreign policy abilities.
“He was asked about what he would do if Israel was attacked. His response was he would negotiate,” Brodsky said. “He would negotiate? Please, come on.”
Phyllis Hill Slater President Hill Slater Group
VOTING FOR: McCain
Hill Slater said she wanted to vote for Obama because he was young, new and fresh, but she opposes class warfare.
“That doesn’t work,” Hill Slater said. “If he taxes people who carry this country economically, we’ll see more layoffs.”
She also said McCain is “a good man” who can go beyond partisan politics, “no matter what you’re being fed by this campaign.”
Doug Manditch Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Empire National Bank
VOTING FOR: McCain
Manditch said Obama has less than three years of experience in the Senate, which isn’t nearly enough to be president.
“This is not Chicago; this is not a legislative job,” Manditch said. “He wants to be president of the United States. He wants to be the leader of the free world, and I think these are really rough times.”
Manditch also said we shouldn’t be trying to redistribute wealth.
“Everyone should get what they earn, what they work for,” Manditch said. “When you try to redistribute, and you saw this with the housing issue, that’s not how it works. I wish everyone could have kept their house and made their payments.”
Richard Salute Partner J.H. Cohn
VOTING FOR: McCain
Salute said he is voting for McCain because he doesn’t believe in wealth transfer and he believes in a more conservative economic agenda.
“I’m an advocate of free-market economics without serious government intervention, which is a little strange to say after what’s happened the last few weeks,” Salute said.
Mark Fasciano Chief Executive Officer Karma411.com
VOTING FOR: McCain
Fasciano keeps it simple.
“I think he has the experience to make the tough decisions and over the next four years there are going to be many tough decisions. It starts and stops there,” Fasciano said.
ws
Nobama keep blathering about “bottom up” business.
I have worked since I was 17-almost 52 years, mostly as an accounting clerk or as a bookkeeper.
I have no idea how “bottom up” wealth is acquired, unless Nobama is using a Hoover or Shop Vac to suck up the money they find on the floor.
Oh, ya got me beat! I’m at 32 years of being a tax-paying worker bee, LOL!
The money you’re looking for? That hasn’t been Hoovered up off the floor...it’s been sucked out of the pockets of people like you and me and ‘re-distributed’ to those less ambitious. It’s p*ssed me off for a good part of those 32 years, but it’s reaching critical mass these days!
The more the stock market drops, the more likely Hussein will be elected.
God help us all.
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